This couple shunned traditional vacations for traveling the country in a converted van - here's how they made it work on $30 a day

Millennials take vacations differently from any other generation. They skip tourist traps for unique experiences, creating picture-perfect memories that will later be on their Instagram feeds.

A year ago, Lucas and Willa Via decided to shun traditional vacations and become road warriors. They bought a van on Craigslist, remodeled it with bohemian-chic interiors, and left New York for wide open spaces. The couple drove across 14 US states over four months.

Between filling up the tank and eating out, they spent less than $35 a day on the essentials.

"If we flew by a teeny tiny log cabin cafe that looked straight out of 'Hansel and Gretel,' we'd make room in our budget to turn right around and give it a try. This goes for signs that said, 'world's best donuts.' There are a lot of those," Willa told Business Insider.

Real life has picked back up for the Vias, who live in San Francisco now. But they plan to take the van out for weekend getaways as a way to vacation more frequently and affordably.

Lucas and Willa shared some photos of their adventures with us. Follow them on Instagram for more snapshots of their #vanlife.